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The Riefler escapement is a mechanical escapement for precision pendulum clocks invented and patented [1] by German instrument maker Sigmund Riefler in 1889. [2] It was used in the astronomical regulator clocks made by his German firm Clemens Riefler from 1890 to 1965, [ 3 ] which were perhaps the most accurate all-mechanical pendulum clocks made.
Sigmund worked mainly on new developments in the area of drawing instruments and precision clocks, while his brothers handled the technical, sales and management of the company. In 1878 he settled in Munich, to be in contact with the local scientific community. [4] He invented the Riefler escapement which was patented in 1889. [5]
Gravity escapements were used in tower clocks. By the end of the 19th century specialized escapements were used in the most accurate clocks, called astronomical regulators, which were employed in naval observatories and for scientific research. The Riefler escapement, used in Clemens-Riefler regulator clocks was accurate to 10 milliseconds per day.
The first mechanical escapement, the verge escapement, was invented in medieval Europe during the 13th century and was the crucial innovation that led to the development of the mechanical clock. The design of the escapement has a large effect on a timepiece's accuracy, and improvements in escapement design drove improvements in time measurement ...
The anchor escapement originated with Hooke, although it has been argued that it was invented by Clement, [133] or the English clockmaker Joseph Knibb. [132] The Jesuits made major contributions to the development of pendulum clocks in the 17th and 18th centuries, having had an "unusually keen appreciation of the importance of precision". [134]
Sigmand Riefler (1847–1912), German clockmaker, Munich, Riefler precision pendulum clocks. Webster Clay Ball (1847–1922), American jeweller and watchmaker, Cleveland, railroad chronometer, Hamilton Watch Company. Henri Lioret (1848–1938), French watchmaker and inventor, Paris, automatons, first useful audio recordings.
The escapement was never mass produced, and no examples are known to exist. It might be relevent to the Sigmund Reifler biographical article but not here, as the watch escapement was necessarily different from his pendulum clock escapement. There is a more important problem with this article. Riefler invented two pendulum clock escapements.
As clocks were made smaller, first as bracket clocks and lantern clocks and then as the first large watches after 1500, balance wheels began to be used in place of foliots. [8] Since more of its weight is located on the rim away from the axis, a balance wheel could have a larger moment of inertia than a foliot of the same size, and keep better ...